"The hills are alive, with the sound of music..."

And so begins one of the most beloved musicals to ever grace the big screen, The Sound of Music. As the camera zooms in from afar, audiences receive their first glimpse of a happy nun named Maria - twirling and singing with reckless abandon amidst the grassy hilltops of the Alps. Debuting in 1965, The Sound of Music retains to this day, the legacy of being the most successful movie musical of all time.  

The film is loosely based upon the real-life adventures of the Von Trapp family, who fled the Nazis in Austria during WWII and eventually relocated to the United States. The Von Trapp Family Singers, as they would come to be known, performed all across the country. Eventually the legendary duo of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein would turn their story into a Broadway musical and, following its success, a film soon followed.

In the story, a free-spirit named Maria finds that she may not quite be cut out to be a nun at Salzburg Abbey. As a result, she is sent to assist at the home of Captain Von Trapp, a recent widower who, after the loss of his beloved wife, has been raising his seven children in his militaristic ways and sorely needs the help of someone of a female persuasion. Maria arrives and is immediately taken aback by the children’s treatment, as if they are soldiers rather than children. To counter this rigidity, she decides to instill in them her love of music and singing.

While the children are overjoyed at the new changes in their lives - as they sing songs around the surrounding city and gallivant through the mountainside, adorned with clothing made from green curtains – the Captain is initially enraged at such frivolity. And yet, he cannot help but notice the positive effect this is having on his family, who truly seems happy for the first time in quite a while. Unfortunately, when he becomes engaged to a wealthy Baroness, Maria assumes her work with the Von Trapp family has concluded.

In the children’s eyes, however, the cold Baroness can’t hold a candle to their beloved Maria and they aren’t quite ready to lose her from their lives. As it turns out, they are also in danger of losing dad as well, as the Nazis have plans to use him in for military purposes against his will. It is clear that the Captain and his governess will have to reconcile their hidden feelings for each other, if this family has any chance of staying safely together as a unit.

Directed by Robert Wise, and starring the lovely Julie Andrews as Maria, The Sound of Music would go on to win the 1965 Academy Award for Best Picture as well as four additional Oscars. And thanks to the profound writing skills of Rogers and Hammerstein, the film was literally overflowing with songs that would go on to become time-honored classics, such as “My Favorite Things,” “Do Re Mi,” “Edelweiss” and of course, the title song. Children of all ages have embraced these songs over the years, helping to continue the popularity of this film for decades after its original run. Today, it is a must-have in any collection of quality family films.